6. Jehu then wrote another letter which said, “If you are on my side and will obey me, then prove it. Bring me the heads of the descendants of Ahab! And be here in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.”The seventy descendants of King Ahab were living with some of the most important people of the city.
7. And when these people read Jehu's second letter, they called together all seventy of Ahab's descendants. They killed them, put their heads in baskets, and sent them to Jezreel.
8. When Jehu was told what had happened, he said, “Put the heads in two piles at the city gate, and leave them there until morning.”
9. The next morning, Jehu went out and stood where everyone could hear him, and he said, “You people are not guilty of anything. I'm the one who plotted against Joram and had him killed. But who killed all these men?
10. Listen to me. Everything the Lord's servant Elijah promised about Ahab's family will come true.”
11. Then Jehu killed the rest of Ahab's relatives living in Jezreel, as well as his highest officials, his priests, and his closest friends. No one in Ahab's family was left alive in Jezreel.
12-13. Jehu left for Samaria, and along the way, he met some relatives of King Ahaziah of Judah at a place where shepherds meet. He asked, “Who are you?”“We are relatives of Ahaziah,” they answered. “We're going to visit his family.”
14. “Take them alive!” Jehu said to his officers. So they grabbed them and led them to the well near the shepherds' meeting place, where they killed all forty-two of them.
15. As Jehu went on, he saw Jehonadab son of Rechab coming to meet him. Jehu greeted him, then said, “Jehonadab, I'm on your side. Are you on mine?”“Yes, I am.”“Then give me your hand,” Jehu answered. He helped Jehonadab into his chariot
16. and said, “Come with me and see how faithful I am to the Lord.”They rode together in Jehu's chariot
17. to Samaria. Jehu killed everyone there who belonged to Ahab's family, as well as all his officials. Everyone in his family was now dead, just as the Lord had promised Elijah.
18. Jehu called together the people in Samaria and said:King Ahab sometimes worshipped Baal, but I will be completely faithful to Baal.
19. I'm going to offer a huge sacrifice to him. So invite his prophets and priests, and be sure everyone who worships him is there. Anyone who doesn't come will be killed.But this was a trick—Jehu was really planning to kill the worshippers of Baal.
20. He said, “Announce a day of worship for Baal!” After the day had been announced,
21. Jehu sent an invitation to everyone in Israel. All the worshippers of Baal came, and the temple was filled from one end to the other.
22. Jehu told the official in charge of the sacred robes to make sure that everyone had a robe to wear.
23. Jehu and Jehonadab went into the temple, and Jehu said to the crowd, “Look around and make sure that only the worshippers of Baal are here. No one who worships the Lord is allowed in.”
24. Then they began to offer sacrifices to Baal.Earlier, Jehu had ordered eighty soldiers to wait outside the temple. He had warned them, “I will get all these worshippers here, and if any of you let even one of them escape, you will be killed instead!”
25. As soon as Jehu finished offering the sacrifice, he told the guards and soldiers, “Come in and kill them! Don't let anyone escape.” They slaughtered everyone in the crowd and threw the bodies outside. Then they went back into the temple